Eight Questions for Chanuka

Biala Rebbe lights the menorah

1) When should one light eight Chanukah candles, every single day of the eight days Chanukah?

2)When is the Shamash considered a Ner Mitzvah and we may not benefit from it, the same as with the other Chanukah candles ?

3) Two Shemen Zayis oils, both are of equal burning quality. Both oils are equal status. (i.e.. not one is orlah etc. and the other is not) One is inedible (bitter) the other is edible.
When would it be, you have to light the bitter oil ?

4)This oil may be used only for Shabbos candles and not for Chanukah candles.

Which oil is it?

5)A house with two entrances, one must light at both entrances. At the first entrance the Brachos are recited. At the second entrance no Brachos are said because the sole purpose of lighting there is (חשד ) people shouldn't accuse him of not lighting the Menorah.

When are Brachos recited at both entrances?

6)A house with two entrances creates a (חשד ) in Hilchos Chanukah (light both entrances)

In which Halacha, is it the opposite , having one entrance there is (חשד ) and two entrances removes the (חשד ) ?

7)בימי מתתיהו בן יוחנןכהן גדול

Who was the Kohen Godol
a)Yochanon
b)Matisyahu
c)Both
d)none

8)The Rambam ( Hl. Chanukah # 3) starts the first two Halachos with the history of Chanukah.
No other Yom Tov does the Rambam find it important to teach the story behind the Yom Tov.
Why is Chanukah different that the Rambam felt it was important to tell us the story & why we celebrate Chanukah?

For Answers Click Here

HAPPY CHANUKAH?

HAPPY CHANUKAH?

The מחבר in Shulchan Aruch (O.Ch. 670: 2) writes"Chanukah was not instituted for משתה and שמחה".

The רמב"ם does write, that Chanukah is ימי שמחה והלל

The Brisker Rav זצ"ל claims the רמב"ם meant with ימי שמחה only to the extent that there is no
הספד & תענית but not that there is a חיוב שמחה

According to the above, the appropriate greeting for Chanukah,might not be "Happy Chanukah"

However, according to the ט"ז who quotes from the מהרש"ל, the רמב"ם does consider Chanuka as a
Yom Tov where משתה & שמחה are required.

Have a happy, joyous & Lechtigeh Chanukah

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THE ENTIRE CHANUKAH STORY IN 35 WORDS

*.R. Y.Ch.Sonnenfeld zt"l wrote that this Piyut
which encapsulates the entire Chanukah story,
was composed by the Chasam Sofer zt"l.

חשמונאים   נלחמו     ונצחו     כל   היוונים
  חושים    נכנסו    ופינו    כלי    ההיכל
חביבים   נמצאו   ובקרקע    כד השמן
חתום   נמצא ובטבעת   כהן   הגדול
חיבתם     נגלית   והספיק כל    השמונה
חכמים     נמנו   וקבעו    כסליו   הבא
ח'      נרות   ולגמור    כל   ההלל

*Found in theSefer "חיים שיש בה"
מאת הרה"ג ר' יצחק שרגא גראס שליט"א
ידידי וחברותא שלי מלפני יובל שנים

RIDDLE FOR PARSHAS VAYEISHEV

RIDDLE

How many dreams of Yosef (about his brothers)
are mentioned in this week's Parsha? (וישב)

a) 0
b) 2
c) 3
d) 4

Purim before Chanukah

The טור/שו"ע and other פוסקים start with Hilchos
Pesach & continue in order of the year's calendar,
Shavuos,Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur Sukkos,
Chanukah & ends with Purim.

The Rambam has Hilchos מגילה (Purim) before Hilchos
Chanukah.

Perhaps we can explain the Rambam's reason
for placing Purim before Chanukah.

In none of the other Yamim Tovim does the
Rambam teach us the story behind the Yom Tov.

*The one exception is Hl. Chanukah. The Rambam
not only teaches us the Halachos of Chanukah but
he also adds the story of Chanukah.

In other words, Hilchos Chanukah is also a
lesson in history. Perhaps, the Rambam wants
to be historically accurate by placing the story
of Chanukah after Hilchos Purim
which happened 200 years before Chanukah.אמבצי

*Harav Hagaon R..Y.B. Soloveitchik zt”l (Boston) explains

Why the Rambam felt it was important to teach us the story
& reason we celebrate Chanukah?
(unlike all the other Yamim Tovim)

The Rambam in his הקדמה writes the reason he called
his Sefer, “משנה תורה” because if you learn תנ"ך
and his Sefer (משנה תורה) you won’t need any other Seforim.

For all the other Yomim Tovim, the Torah gives the reason
why we celebrate it. For Purim, we have the מגילה.
The only Yom Tov not mentioned in תנ"ך is Chanukah.
Therefore. the Rambam need to write the story of Chanukah.